Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Be Brave

I am so excited for “Brave” for so many reasons. 1) Pixar, I love Pixar. 2) Red-Hair, I love red-hair. 3) Scottish accents, I love Scottish accents. And 4) A Heroine, I love a good heroine, not to be mistaken with the sort you inject and listen to jazz with. Though it’s that last bit that’s the most important. In all of its acclaimed history, Pixar has never made a movie around a heroine. They’ve had female characters, clearly, but it’s been the Nemos and WALL-Es and Woodys who have saved the day. But with “Brave,” that’s all different. Brave is set in the Scottish Highlands and follows “tomboyish” Princess Merida (voiced by real Scottish lady and “Boardwalks Empire” actress Kelly Macdonald) who has a shock of fire-red hair and appears to be handy with a bow and arrow. The rest of the voice cast includes Emma Thompson, Billy Connolly, Craig Ferguson and Julie Walters. Pretty damn impressive, if you ask me.

Now, I know there has been some complicated behind-the-scenes backstory involving the film’s original female director being replaced. But to me, while problematic, it does not detract from the true import of the thing. And that is this: Girls deserve to be the heroes of their own stories. We aren’t just damsels in distress or funny sidekicks or beautiful girlfriends. Sure we can be those things, and we sometimes are. But if that’s all we are shown as, well, then that’s doing a disservice to everyone. Boys, girls, everyone. Because in the real world, women are the heroes of their own stories every single day. You don’t need a focus group or a test market to discover this. It just is. That it’s taken so long for Hollywood to realize it, well, that’s the real fairy tale.

12 comments:

OMG I also love all of those things! Well, mostly I love heroines with red hair and Scottish accents, but Pixar is okay too. I'm very happy they are FINALLY putting a girl into a starring role, and I'm excited at this version of a princess. My 5 year old could use a broader understanding of the term to say the least. However, I'm also pissed that I have to wait a year to see this. Damn you, DS. I was blissfully ignorant about this movie, and now I can't wait. Except I have to. :P

As a Pixar geek (read: I once stood outside the gates of their Emeryville headquarters, a gleam of drool on my chin and a first-edition Buzz Lightyear in hand), and lover of red hair, I'm indescribably excited about this movie.

Soon we won't even notice when studios start producing stories like this; it will be second nature, another superbly-executed animated film with characters we care about and a tale that immerses us.

I just want to know...where were all you lovers of red hair when I was being tormented as a little girl? The only people who have seemed to reliably fawn over it are little old ladies and gay men and, up until my wife and I started dating, it didn't seem to help my romantic prospects at all. I'm so confused!

Oops I left it on the wrong post. Anyway this looks like the legendary and apparently true Boadacea (sp).A Red haired warrior that was portrayed in at least one Xena episode and also has a movie just about her.